The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-18
A JAUNT IN MEXICO.
a Special Correspondent of The
Statesman Seeing the Sights.

SALTILLo, MEXICO. August IA, 1881
The Mexican National train pulls out
of the two Laredos at Z a. M, and, with a
twenty-five mile schedule, she soon leaves
them in the distance. The first seventy
miles traversed is a barren waste, covered
with cactus and chaparel bushes, but
there We entered the antique little city of
Lampazos, 100 feet above the sea level,
with population of 10000, surrounded
by rich vslly and irrigated by the Salado
river. One will see at a glance that the
natives are a century behind in agriculture
as well as in every other pursuit. Corn is
the principal product, which is planted,
with few exceptions, broadcast, with the
stalks from eight to ten inches apart
entirely too close to mature we'll, They
use the old fashioned plow-a fOrked limb
somewhat in the shape of bull-tongue
pillow. Here, as in the other valleys, the
tropical fruits grow in abundance. The
fig and the peach grow wild, and while
nature has layished her blessings upon
these people, the climate has Slapped the
Likelihood of their energy and ambition
1t Is remarkable the distance one can see
here; the objects are from six to eight
times as far as they appear. You see
dark objects in the distance which appear
to be heavy clouds, but, advauc-
ing nearer, it proves to be
a gigantic moantsin, with her
peaks towering heavenward $500 feet
above 'he plain,
The fences are built of brush and last
well, for no animal dare tackle them
Towns of 5000 or 5000 inhabitants don't
cover any more territory than an Ameri-
can town of 1900 or 1000 inhabitants
and the most of these little villages are
located near ;he base of the mountain;
where a volcano or a slide would knocl
them into eternity without moment:
notice.
The next point of interest you would
reach is Monterey, where General Taylo
came out victorious in that famous battle
of Monterey. 1t is 1871 feet above tn,
sea and a population of 10000 soul
, located in one of these rich valleys 70
which Mexico is noted, and near which i
the world famed Topo Chico springs
with temperature of LOG degrees, and it
curative qualities are said to surpass tn
} famous hot springs of Arkansas.
= Monterey is at the foot of the grand oil
Sierra Mgdre mountains, which loon
subimely upward for fully 1000 feet.
After pulling out from Monterey, up
, ward and upward is our course. In dis
lance of 6S miles We gain 1913 feet il
altitude, and the scenery beggars descrip
tion-graud beyond imagination. Her
We are running along narrow track du;
T out from the mountain side, and above u
its lofty peaks are towering 1000 or 800
feet, while the unusually clear water
are madly rushing over tn
: falls below, and in tn
distance on the other sid
snow capped cloud is hanging upon
mountain peak while nearer by a thunde
head is lounging laziiy on the mountai
side thousand feet below its SUNNI
As night is throwing her shades around L
! to give our tired eyes chance to rest, tn
keen whistle gives the signal for Saltillt
{ 5,l09 feet above the sea, one of the mos
& delightful climates in the world. Tn
temperature ranges from 80 to 81 degree
This little town of $4,000 people is pictu
; esque in the extreme. Her flowers are {
the rarest tint, and fruits of the most del
icate flavor; her streets are crooked, mar
row and we'll paved; her architecture
antique and dates back to the Moori